


Age is Nothing But a Number

by Amethysthunder



Series: Cherry Magic Thunder Crack [2]
Category: 30歳まで童貞だと魔法使いになれるらしい | Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! (Manga), 30歳まで童貞だと魔法使いになれるらしい | Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! (TV)
Genre: Adachi being a little gremlin, Adachi one-upped Kurosawa in teasing, Adachi's complex, Angst and Humor, Banter, Cheeky Adachi Kiyoshi, Coping, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cute Ending, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff and Crack, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gentle Kissing, Insecurity, Kurosawa is simping too hard, Kurosawa's complex, M/M, Mishaps, Misunderstandings, My 2nd Fic ever in my life, Old Married Couple, POV Adachi, POV Alternating, POV Kurosawa, Ragna Crimson as plot device, Romantic Comedy, Sleepy Cuddles, Slice of Life, Spooning, Two dorks bicker like, slight Kurosawa's indecent thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:14:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29179308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amethysthunder/pseuds/Amethysthunder
Summary: “I figured…anyway I saw you were with a boy back then, was he your little brother?” asked Mr. Nakajima.“Pa-pardon?” Kurosawa thought he just misheard something crucial.In which Adachi's baby face caused a series of mishaps and a possible complex to grow in Kurosawa.But worry not! Adachi is there to save the day
Relationships: Adachi Kiyoshi/Kurosawa Yuichi, 黑澤優一/安達清
Series: Cherry Magic Thunder Crack [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137548
Comments: 42
Kudos: 271





	1. Reposted : Illusion of the Gap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is inspired by the fandom's obsession about how babied Adachi is (from what I've seen around esp on Tumblr) and that funny scene of Kurosawa in ep 8, the ossan scene. That scene left a huge impression on me because I think drama!Kurosawa was made to be more otherworldly than from the manga for some aspects, yet that 3-secs-long-scene of comical relief had made him so much more humane. His complexes of real-self being overlooked for good look and fixation on perfection are very realistic and valid yet may not be easily relatable for some people. SO I just want to develop another possibility of complex for him in the future that is more down-to-earth, from which the seed was planted by the drama itself. 
> 
> Again this fic is unbeta'd and English isn't my 1st language so some grammar mistakes are inevitable. I'll update the tags as I go and I'm open to any suggestion :D

Kurosawa never really thought too much about his appearance before, let alone using it to his advantage in anything. His look, what everyone else referred to as one of his prominent aspects, was actually sort of one sore point in his life. The thing that drew people to him and appreciated him only on the surface and never bothered to see beyond his _ikemen_ image. Of course, that sentiment of himself didn’t excuse him into being sloppy with self-care. In fact, if what people sought of him was only for this so-called ‘perfect’ visage, then he would work his damnedest to make sure everything in and on him was perfect so it wouldn’t be considered his _only_ aspect by others.

Hence, he always made sure to show up at work in his best-pressed suits, flawlessly clean shirts, and ties, dress shoes polished till the point of shining, hair combed and gelled just enough to let it rest all day on his head without any stray. He did his work meticulously and made daily targets so that every day he could do better than yesterday.

It felt suffocating sometimes, walking on eggshells all the time and living to others’ expectations of himself, instead of his own. But he was used to it, growing up with that attitude and manners of striving to be perfect, embedded by his parents since he was little. He was the apple of his parents’ eyes, the ‘good’ son, a complete opposite of his audacious and impulsive elder sister, and a reliable little brother who always had to clean up after his _Aneki_ ’s mess or cover for her in front of their parents. So much so that his family always said he was more suitable as a big brother. All of his distant relatives almost always mistook him as one, being the more mature one and all compared to Aneki (and to other same-age friends of him). If it weren’t for their birth certificates, Kurosawa would’ve also believed it to be true.

As he grew up, the words cool, calm, and confident were closely associated with him. His renowned composure and sage approaches to problems had prompted him to be easily elected as class president throughout school years and also captain of his varsity teams. Kurosawa liked it when people relied on him, loved being in control of everything, and being kept busy with works and assignments because it kept him from thinking too much or felt the void in his life which, if he left those painful feelings to fester, they would’ve been enough to paralyze him.

The fixation on being the epitome of composure had also influenced his daily lives even when he was all by himself without anyone to impress. Even when he was a teenager and all of his friends at the University started to enjoy the freedom of adulthood, he didn’t let himself get carried away. He didn’t smoke, only drank moderately, he never pulled all-nighter playing games, and even in casual clothes, he tended to dress a bit formal than others of the same age.

When he fell for Adachi, everything gradually felt much more interesting. Adachi effortlessly slotted himself at the forefront of his mind and every single day spent observing his crush always brought new surprises to his otherwise rigid life.

* * *

About Adachi, he always thinks of Adachi as the epitome of cuteness, every single thing on him and what he does are cute in Kurosawa’s eyes. His bedhead, his mole just above the lips, his penchant for moe sleeves clothing, the way he fidgets nervously with his cuffs when he’s prodded to speak at the meetings, and the way he subconsciously bites his lips when he is concentrating on his works or while drawing. He can never express enough how Adachi’s cuteness might literally end him someday. Weird thing is, he’d never seen or heard others addressed him as such, not even Tsuge or Fujisaki-san. However, he has seen how Adachi was often mistaken as a rookie by the higher-ups he just met. Referred to as pure and innocent by his seniors? Absolutely, yet never cute. Kurosawa wonders why, but well, he’s glad for it since it means that he’s the only one who ever gets to call Adachi that way.

The thought that it might someday cause a complex for him had never even crossed his mind…

Until those series of mishaps happened…. 

When that day Minato’s ex, that Keita boy, called him _“ossan”_ in a mocking way, he admits he was totally shocked and offended, as that was the first time ever someone addressed him as such. But he quickly brushed it off since that boy was rude to everyone anyway. Besides, being with Adachi on their first outing as a couple, there was simply nothing that could ruin his mood.

Another incident that irked him happened not long after Valentine’s day.

Kurosawa was involved in a long-time project with another company which had him attended regular meetings in the next city, three to four days a week for over a month now. He was already familiar with many employees there by now, especially the head of the project, Mr. Nakajima, a kind middle-aged man who always looked smiley.

Due to this new responsibility, Kurosawa had to work out of the office most of the days. Both he and Adachi had tried their best to maneuver around their schedules in order to eat dinner together every night and take turns to sleep over. Nevertheless, he still felt very depleted of his daily Adachi’s dose in the recent weeks since normally they would also have lunch together every day and Kurosawa would never pass on the opportunity to flirt with him whenever he could.

* * *

That afternoon, Kurosawa was waiting for the elevator after a long exhausting day, eager and desperate to finally able to go home where Adachi would spend the night. His mind had started to conjure a series of pictures of them having a candlelight dinner, wine, followed immediately by clothes cluttering on the floor, and limbs tangled on the bed…when he was abruptly jolted by a hand on his shoulder. 

“Kurosawa-kun! I was looking for you…” Mr. Nakajima spoke from behind him.

“Ah...I apologize, Sir, I didn’t realize you were here…how may I help you?” Kurosawa was silently praying for Mr. Nakajima to not be one of those magic users able to read his mind.

“I wanted to give you something, please wait a moment…” he proceeded to rummage his bag.

“Actually last Sunday I was accompanying my son to the Comic Con and I happened to see you there waiting in line for Ragna Crimson’s tickets, was that the one for the themed café and figurine exhibition that’ll be held this weekend?” asked Mr. Nakajima.

“Oh..y-yes Sir, I didn’t know you were also a fan…” Kurosawa was surprised to hear this.

“Well, I’m not, but my son asked me to buy those limited tickets, and they were only sold that day, but I saw you were a little far on the back though, did you manage to buy it?” He inquired.

“Sadly, no, and I was waiting there for almost an hour, too…” Kurosawa was reminded how dejected his beloved was that day for not able to attend the first-ever Ragna Crimson’s limited exhibition. They had been looking forward to it ever since they saw the ad months ago, yet they weren’t prepared for the place to be that crowded. It was their first time going to such an event after all.

“I figured…anyway I saw you were with a boy back then, was he your little brother?” asked Mr. Nakajima.

“Pa-pardon?” Kurosawa thought he just misheard something crucial.

“The boy that was with you that day, I recognized him from the picture of you two together on your phone wallpaper since you sit beside me during meetings…he looked like a high schooler though, so I kind of assumed he was your little brother?” Mr. Nakajima uttered innocently. Kurosawa almost choked hearing that, if it weren’t for his terrific composure, he surely would have. Kurosawa always knew Adachi to be cute and young-looking, but a high-schooler?? Isn’t that preposterous?! He was shocked speechless.

“Kurosawa-kun….?”

“Ah ye-yes Sir, s-sorta…” Kurosawa answered in small voice while difficultly swallowed a hard lump in his throat, he didn’t even know which one he was saying ‘yes’ to. He didn’t think he would be able to explain about their chummy picture even if he said Adachi was his best friend and he didn’t want to have to explain himself anyway. They hadn’t even come out to their parents yet! He just wanted this to end quickly, really, so he could go home because every minute spent longer here meant shorter time with Adachi tonight. Thus, he just let Mr. Nakajima went with his assumptions. Apparently, his answer was clear enough for Mr. Nakajima to not leave any other interpretations. 

“That’s good then, here, you can have my ticket and you can give my son’s to your brother,” Mr. Nakajima handed him the two tickets Kurosawa had longed for.

“But, Sir…I can’t possibly…” Kurosawa trailed. “Let me pay for these….”

“It’s alright, my family and I have to go to _Chuncheon_ this Friday night for an emergency so we couldn’t use these tickets anyway, just take it as a gift for your hard work all this time, okay?” He continued.

“And before I forgot…This one here is a special ticket with a pass for its themed game zone or…arcade, whatever it is called, but it’s only open for those below 19 years old, make sure to tell your brother that so he won’t miss it,” Mr. Nakajima patted his shoulder. Kurosawa suddenly felt his knees went weak hearing the last words. He felt like crying.

“Thank you very much, Mr. Nakajima! Adac- I mean…Ki-Kiyoshi would be really happy for this,” Kurosawa tried to hold on to his last composure and worded his words carefully.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s nice to see you brothers really close with each other despite the big age gap…I wished my sons were more like you guys, they fight all day long though….by the way, don’t mention to your brother that these are from me, I’m sure he’d be more thrilled thinking that his beloved big brother was the one gifting it for him,” Mr. Nakajima commented while smiling radiantly.

Kurosawa felt stabbed in the back by how convinced Mr. Nakajima was that he and Adachi had a big age gap just from the picture. It didn't sit right with him, knowing his nature of relationship with Adachi. But then again, it was his own fault for not answering clearer so it wasn't like he could blame Mr. Nakajima. The guy was just being honest and kind. Kurosawa simply had no more strength left to form coherent words, so he just nodded.

“Then I’ll leave first, thank you for your hard work today.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Sir, and have a safe flight!” Kurosawa bowed to Mr. Nakajima and didn’t dare to raise his head until the said man left, for fear of being caught red-handed while lying recklessly about Adachi. He felt drained all of a sudden, yet he needed to quickly go home. The traffic would be jam-packed soon and he would be late to see his fiancé. The thought of his sweet angel’s lit up face when he’d find out about the ticket was enough to boost Kurosawa’s mood again. “I need to get the camera ready.” He thought happily.

That night, Adachi’s joyful scream when Kurosawa handed him the tickets and the reward he gave Kurosawa afterward in the bedroom, were mind-blowing enough that Kurosawa easily swept his inexplicably unpleasant feelings that day under the rug. He really should treat Mr. Nakajima to a meal next time for gifting him such a blessing like this. It wasn’t everyday his shy angel would initiate intimacy between them with this level of enthusiasm after all and it felt heavenly. As they both drifted into sleep while cuddling after their passionate love-making sessions, he told Adachi who gave those tickets but kept the rest of what happened earlier with him. He slipped into dreamland while listening to Adachi’s even breathing on his neck.

* * *

Kurosawa never really thought too much about his appearance before…

_Yet, the universe seemed adamant to tell him otherwise._

**-to be continued-**

Kurosawa's wallpaper aka the source of misunderstanding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Trivia:**  
>  1\. In this fic, I pushed Tokyo Comic Con way earlier to around March-April 2021, let's pretend COVID-19 never exists, kay?
> 
> 2\. I've no idea what Ragna Crimson's supposed to be, I figured it was sth like Kamen Rider/Power Rangers. I HC it's existed for a while, yet only now reached the peak of popularity due to the anime and LA adaptation.
> 
> 3\. Mr. Nakajima didn't see Adachi properly given the distance, yet he'd accidentally glanced at the photo often enough to recognise Adachi's face.
> 
> 4\. I don't think it's exaggerating for Adachi to be mistaken as a high schooler from the way he looked and dressed in the picture. I know how East and SE Asians had lots high school dramas who cast actors who are lots older than the supposed role and looked just fine, but sometimes you can tell easily they do look older than the extras in the class. But I think Akaso-kun in FuriFura didn't pose any of that problem, he totally nailed the gakuran and the face of high schooler despite much older than the rest.
> 
> 5\. Chuncheon is a town in South Korea known for its scenic view and also the delicious 'dakgalbi' road. I reckon it has to be an emergency and overseas for them to forfeit their hard-earned tickets just like that.
> 
> 6\. This whole fic is actually what I developed from this post:  
> [Babie Adachi ](https://amethysthunder.tumblr.com/post/635946205340467200/and-their)
> 
> 7\. Ikemen translates figuratively as flower boy, a general term for pretty and handsome boys/men. But recently I googled translate to see what it can offer and it translated directly to English as 'TWINK' ! LMFAO I am SHOOKEETH!! Google is totally upping its game.
> 
> 8\. Aneki : Big sis, I'm too lazy to make up a name for mentioned character
> 
> 9\. Ossan: uncle/old man, old man is the best English counterpart for ossan since it carries that derogatory sense when referred to strangers


	2. Two Sides of the Same Coin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Sir, why don’t you and your…friend step aside for a while and—” before that man could finish his words, Kurosawa already felt his mouth moved by his own. 
> 
> “He’s 30 years old! He’s perfectly legal! Can’t you see?!” he blurted out of the blue at the top of his voice making everyone in the vicinity looked at them curiously, even those who weren’t on the line. He felt Adachi froze beside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit Feb 8th: I added a few lines for Kurosawa’s thoughts in the ‘big age gap’ paragraph to emphasize his feelings as well as fixed some grammatical errors. 
> 
> Some angst in this chapter due to Kurosawa’s overthinking. Also, the incident which finally made him acknowledge his own internal conflict that’d been bottled up. I can only say, thankfully Adachi was there to help him get through it this time, in his own _unique_ way. 
> 
> _‘Italic conversations’_ are the characters’ inner voices, and there’ll be a POV switch to Adachi separated by the line. Some situational explanations are due for this chapter so I humbly suggest reading the endnotes as well. Feel free to suggest or correct me about anything :)  
>    
> **P.S every chapter actually has 1 thing in common, can you guess what it is?**

The next incident happened on one auspicious Saturday. It was summer, a couple of months after Kurosawa turned 31. Kurosawa planned a movie date that day and booked two tickets for a semi-documentary movie in a western film festival that just came into their town. The movie won many awards overseas and was rated 21+ due to its controversial theme for Japanese publicity (not for any overly explicit contents, mind you!). The movie looked intriguing and brought out homosexuality as one of the aspects discussed heavily in it, something he and Adachi hadn’t been very exposed to. He’d never watched this kind of movie with Adachi before so he was curious what reaction would Adachi give after seeing it. He was just about to ask Adachi to spend the night at his place when Rokkaku had beaten him to it. Apparently, Rokkaku and Minato had planned for a marathon of drinking and karaoke sessions that night but was dumped last minute because the blond guy had to go out of town for another of Tsuge’s award ceremony. Rokkaku felt miserable so he whined at Adachi and asked him to be his drinking buddy. Sweet Adachi of course felt bad for him, but instead of karaoke he just offered Rokkaku for a game night at his place and only allowed can beers. Kurosawa was invited but reluctantly refused since he had to bring home some works that night and wouldn’t be able to do it with Rokkaku around. He went home after reminding Adachi not to stay up too late tonight and they agreed to just meet at the venue tomorrow as it was at the opposite side of the town from Kurosawa’s place.

The next day Kurosawa woke up early, cooked some simple breakfast for himself, did some cleaning and laundry, and proceeded to choose the outfit of the day. Kurosawa always kept in mind not to be underdressed on any occasion or season. If he was going to a possible cramped place he made sure to always wear long sleeves, no matter how warm the weather was. He just disliked the accidental direct touches on his exposed skin that weren’t coming from Adachi.

He showed up at the venue at 11 am sharp, garbed in a white short-sleeved Henley shirt left unbuttoned on the top two, an oversized light grey cardigan, coupled with slim-fitting navy chino pants cuffed at the bottom, and grey suede derby shoes. He tried to reach Adachi for the third time since this morning but still left unanswered. His LINE messages were recently read though so he assumed Adachi was most likely getting ready and decided not to call anymore lest he slowed him instead. He decided to buy some snacks for them while waiting, reckoned that they’d have to get lunch after the show. Adachi showed up 30 minutes later sporting a messy bedhead and a worried look on his face, dressed in a simple fully buttoned olive green polo shirt that looked at least two sizes too big for his frame, khaki cargo shorts, and a pair of navy plimsolls. _‘He looked even cuter in shorts,’_ Kurosawa gazed at him fondly. 

“Kurosawa, I’m really sorry! Rokkaku was wasted and snored all night, I hardly slept at all! We woke up really late and I had to drag Rokkaku out of the apartment…I even dozed off in the bus and missed my stop!” Adachi explained while flailing his arms. Kurosawa felt very worried for him.

“Adachi, _honey_ , it’s alright, have you had breakfast then? I only get snacks here…” he tried to calm him down.

“We ate till late last night, so I’m not hungry yet, the movie’s about to start anyway…these will do for now, thanks Kurosawa...”

“Alright, but we’ll have lunch first thing after the show, no bookstores hopping or stationery hunting before the meal, yes?” Kurosawa used his rare stern tone that left no room for objections.

“Mkay…” Adachi hastily slurped his smoothie and took a big bite of his _hot bar_ , seemingly hungry after all.

If Kurosawa silently cursed Rokkaku in his mind, not even Adachi could tell.

They enjoyed their snacks in the lounge while waiting for the screening time. Fixated on Adachi eating with gusto, Kurosawa momentarily forgot where they were and tried to feed Adachi the snack from his hand. He even impulsively wiped the ketchup on the corner of Adachi’s mouth with his thumb. Adachi wasn’t aware and continued gobbling down his skewered snacks. Kurosawa just played it cool then. But not long after, he started to feel eyes on him. While looking for the source, he accidentally caught one of the festival workers not far from where they sat, staring straight in their direction. Kurosawa ignored him, but then he noticed how that guy kept throwing glances at him. Kurosawa could tell when someone was glancing at him admiringly, seductively, or judgingly, and Kurosawa believed this guy was more for the latter. Kurosawa thought that guy must have seen the way he treated Adachi just now, but thought it wasn’t his business if the stranger were to judge them. Still, he couldn’t help but think, 

_'That man was working at this film festival though, where the movies featured lots of LGBTQIA+ themes, surely he couldn’t be this narrow-minded?’_

Then out of the blue, the bitter misunderstanding with Mr. Nakajima a few months ago came spiraling in his mind, and the realization of what might cause that man to throw curious glances at them finally dawned on him. He felt his palms starting to sweat….

 _‘Could he be thinking that Adachi was only…and me and Adachi were…..And that’s why he’s been looking at me suspiciously??’_ Kurosawa frantically thought.

‘ _No,no,no…to hell with it...it’s not like I brought Adachi to a strip club! It’s not his business anyway!’_

He started to look around again, just in case other people were also looking at them weirdly. But so far, everyone else was minding their own business. Kurosawa took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves.

“Kurosawa, are you okay?”

‘ _Ah, my sweet angel must have felt my uneasiness’_

“I’m fine, Adachi, do you need to go to the restroom first?” he forced himself to stop thinking too much, the last thing he wanted was to make Adachi worry for him and ruined the whole date.

“No need, but you kinda look—” Adachi was interrupted by the announcement for their screening time. Kurosawa quickly guided him to the studio entrance, away from prying eyes. While they waited in line to enter, Kurosawa couldn’t help but be preoccupied with his stray thoughts again that he didn’t realize someone approached Adachi until he heard the man. It was the worker who had been eyeing them suspiciously!

“Excuse me, _Sir_ , may I see your ID first?” the man asked Adachi. Kurosawa paled considerably hearing it. They were at the entrance already and a lot of people were waiting behind them _._

 _‘_ _Seriously, why is this guy so nosy?! What is he up to??’_ Kurosawa could do nothing but felt his hackles risen.

Adachi seemed startled at first and reflexively handed his ticket instead.

“Okay, you booked this online, right? I’d need to see your ID as well, please…just to make sure,” the man insisted, and briefly glanced at Kurosawa as well.

Kurosawa struggled to keep his face straight and not show any irritation, but he was slowly failing. He never felt this wrongly judged before for his entire life. It’d be okay if this was only him, but he couldn’t let people thought ugly about Adachi because of him! He tried to calm his racing mind, as long as Adachi could prove how old he really was, he didn’t have to say anything. Adachi threw him a hesitant look, but Kurosawa just nodded to him, conveying that he should do it. He started to rummage around his many-pocketed short pants yet looked more panicked by the second. _‘_

 _Oh no! Don’t tell me Adachi didn’t bring his ID!’_ Kurosawa screamed in his mind.

“Uuh…I-I’m sorry, it-it seemed like I forgot to bring my wallet…” Adachi muttered, he looked very distress.

Kurosawa felt his patience was running thin and heard people behind him started whispering. The worker stared disbelievingly at Adachi and Kurosawa disliked what that look implied.

“Sir, why don’t you and your…friend step aside for a while and—” before that man could finish his words, Kurosawa already felt his mouth moved by his own.

“He’s 30 years old! He’s perfectly legal! Can’t you see?!” he blurted out of the blue at the top of his voice making everyone in the vicinity looked at them curiously, even those who weren’t on the line. He felt Adachi froze beside him. Suddenly the atmosphere turned very quiet and the worker looked shocked by Kurosawa’s outburst.

“Sir…please calm down, the movie is rated 21+ so it’s standard procedure to double-check with an ID...” He tried to explain slowly.

Kurosawa was frozen stiff. Somehow the fact that the movie was rated 21+ had completely evaded him until now and was thinking of something else entirely different. And by the look of it, he’d also forgotten to mention it to Adachi. What the man said was a simple, undeniable fact and he had no way to rebut it without exposing that he had misunderstood the situation completely, to his disadvantage. He felt like combusting on the spot out of shame and when he heard someone snickered in the background, he acted on instinct, grabbed Adachi’s wrist, and bolted the heck out of there. He heard the worker call out to him but there was no way in hell he would stop.

In the end, he still ruined the whole date. He felt like his curse to Rokkaku earlier had bounced back to him! He felt so embarrassed he hoped the ground would swallow him whole so he didn’t have to face Adachi right now.

* * *

Adachi never thought there was a day he would see Kurosawa yelled with so much annoyance like that. Even when he fought the thugs back then, he didn’t yell at all. To say Adachi was shocked was an understatement. Now that he knew the reason why the worker asked for his ID, he felt a little bad, the guy was just doing his job after all.

But that was the problem. Kurosawa was the most reasonable person he’d ever met and the man would never get mad for something so frivolous. Yet, now he even grabbed Adachi like this, tugged him along, and shoved their way through a throng of people in haste. Kurosawa was strong but he never manhandled Adachi in any way. There was something really wrong with him, something Kurosawa hadn’t shared with him. He never missed his magic so much until today, but he would get to the bottom of this no matter what.

They were now already out of the building, so Adachi planted his feet on the ground and tugged the taller man to slow him down. They stopped, but his fiancé still had his back on him. Several minutes passed and he could see Kurosawa was breathing heavily. He waited patiently until Kurosawa was ready to face him. When he finally turned around, he looked distraught.

“Kurosawa…w-why are we running away?? What was that back there?” Adachi was really worried now.

The only time Kurosawa looked frantic like this was when he found Adachi cried in the bedroom one day, thinking it could only be his fault. But when Adachi told him it was because he read Tsuge’s novel, he turned to tease him instead.

“I’m really sorry Adachi, I overreacted back there…and now we can’t watch the movie....”

He saw how forlorn Kurosawa looked and felt so guilty. If only he’d brought his ID with him, none of this would’ve happened.

“It’s okay, it’s my fault, Kurosawa, I left in a hurry and forgot my wallet, but…it’s just...it’s not like you at all to suddenly lash out like that, is there something bothering you?” he prodded carefully. Kurosawa sighed loudly and tugged him to an empty corner of the street. 

“I know it’s low for me to think this way to someone who is just doing his job, but don’t you think it’s a bit weird that out of all people in front of us, he only asked you to show the ID?”

 _‘EH?? That’s it? That’s what bothering him?!’_ suddenly Adachi felt like laughing, but he needed Kurosawa to elaborate.

“So?” Adachi asked. 

“So he must have thought you were a minor, right?”

“He said he just wanted to make sure so maybe that’s why he didn’t do it to all, anyway below 21 doesn’t necessarily mean a minor, Kurosawa.” Adachi still didn’t get where his fiancé was going with this and why he felt annoyed by it.

“It doesn’t matter Adachi, you didn’t see but that guy had been throwing funny glances at us from way before... He probably believed you were-…were a minor and that you should NOT be seen going out with a man who obviously looks a lot older than 21!” Kurosawa seemed blatantly frustrated by now.

Adachi felt like his brain stopped working hearing that. Truthfully, he didn’t think Kurosawa made much sense with his reasoning. How could he deduce something like this?? It wasn’t like he and Kurosawa were kissing in public, so that man should not be able to tell if they were dating or not, should he? In fact, that worker was just following procedures. And how did Kurosawa blamed himself for not looking like a college student, when he was already 31 years old and looked like a model out of fashion magazines? It was a bit ridiculous…. He should have tried being in Adachi’s shoes then and see if he liked being mistaken as a rookie at the office over and over again, even by other rookies!

Adachi knew he didn’t look very mature for his age, it wasn’t something he was proud about though. It was much more bothersome than beneficial for him, yet he already learned how to live with it. However, listening to Kurosawa, Adachi felt this was something that had weighed on him for a while. He didn’t know what triggered this, but Adachi couldn’t let this go on anymore. It was absolutely rare for Kurosawa to lose his composure, but when it happened, Adachi would do his best to be the pillar he could lean on, just like how his fiancé always did for him. So he treaded the issue carefully.

“What makes you believe he knew we were a couple? Two guys going to movies together doesn’t always mean they are dating, they could be friends or families, don’t you think?” he reasoned.

“Trust me, Adachi…I know what I’m talking about.” Kurosawa pinched the bridge of his nose, it looked like he’d rather not say why, so Adachi decided not to pursue it further.

“Alright, then how do you know he was thinking what you think? Instead of only making sure that I was eligible to watch the movie as per their rules,” Adachi emphasized to make Kurosawa see that his answer was unconvincing.

“If that was the only reason, then he should’ve asked the others as well,” Kurosawa muttered while averting his eyes. It looked like he wanted to back away from this conversation, but Adachi refused to back down.

“But what makes you so sure? Did you read his mind, Kurosawa?” There…he pulled the card…and this finally got his full attention. Kurosawa looked at him straight in the eyes, speechless.

“Look…one of the most important things that I learned from my magic was that most of the bad things you thought others perceived of you were usually not true, you taught me that…better than anyone else, so why are you doing the opposite to yourself?” Adachi let his words sink in. He could see the flicker of emotion in Kurosawa’s eyes.

Finally, the taller man closed his eyes and exhaled loudly. When he opened his eyes again, Adachi could see the usual warmth on them and he smiled sheepishly.

* * *

_‘What am I doing? Making Adachi worried about me even more like this, and everything my sweet angel said is true, I’m the one being stubborn here!’_ Kurosawa felt sober and calmer now, but also extremely embarrassed that Adachi had to find out about his inner conflict this way.

“I understand…yeah, I was...I guess I’m being unreasonable, I think I’m just a bit sensitive about that…I’m sorry, _honey_ ,” he held Adachi’s hand and squeezed it.

“Don’t be sorry, the problem lies with me anyway, not you.”

“No, Adachi, don’t blame yourself,” Kurosawa frowned.

This was why Kurosawa kept his complex from Adachi until now because he didn’t want Adachi to feel bad about something he couldn’t help, or worse, blame himself. This was his own problem to deal with, not Adachi’s. To him, his fiancé was cute because he was Adachi, the 30-year-old guy he had been in love with for almost 8 years, not because of the way he looked, dressed, or acted childish sometimes. Yet, he couldn’t help that those previous misunderstandings rendered him to believe how different the outsiders’ perception about them might be and it worsened his insecurity.

“I’m not blaming myself, it doesn’t bother me anymore anyway,” he shrugged.

“What do you mean?” he wanted Adachi to elaborate.

“Well, it’s not like it’s the first time happening to me, I’m used to it though. For example, every time I went to a new Izakaya with Tsuge when it wasn’t after work or at a festival, they would ask to see my ID first before I ordered a drink. I didn’t go to cinemas often, but it’s nothing new to me…” Adachi explained nonchalantly.

“You never told me that…” Kurosawa wasn’t really surprised anymore, but still.

“I just don’t think it’s important or worth talking about, besides we only ever go drinking together at the places we frequent to.”

“And they never asked for Tsuge’s even though he was beside you?” he was suddenly interested to hear more about it.

“Nope, not even once…so you see, it’s not just you,” Adachi pointed out.

“I see…” Kurosawa suddenly felt a lot better hearing it, like a huge boulder had been lifted from his chest and shoulders. 

“And Tsuge got it even worse, you know, he told me when he was a freshman in high school in the countryside, his seniors bullied him several times into buying cigarettes and beers at this one _konbini_ , while covering his uniform, the store clerk didn’t even suspect him once!” he explained matter-of-factly.

“pffffttt…I—BWAHAHAHA-- what the?! AHAHAHA I’m sorry that’s a bit-- ahahaha, I-I didn’t mean to laugh, I swear!” Kurosawa tried very hard to suppress his laugh to no avail.

“Ha! I’ll tell Tsuge you laughed at his misery!” Adachi exclaimed jokingly.

“Please don’t…hahaha, okay okay…” he took a deep breath to calm himself. “Alright then…shall we go get our lunch now?”

“Okay…but you have to pay for me again…” Adachi chuckled. Proud of himself that he made Kurosawa back to his usual self again.

“At your service, _Sir_ ,” Kurosawa mimicked the man from the festival with exaggerated gestures. 

“And I’m staying over tonight, there’s no way I’d let you sleep by yourself when you’re thinking too much like this.”

That was it, Kurosawa couldn’t help it anymore and just hugged Adachi right there, passersby be damned. Adachi really was an angel sent for him.

“Thank you, my love…” Kurosawa really wanted to kiss him right there.

“Well…to tell you the truth, I didn’t want to go home because Rokkaku made a mess last night and I haven’t cleaned it,” he blurted randomly.

“My shy angel learns to be cheeky now, doesn’t he?” he hugged Adachi tighter and pinched his waist.

* * *

When they were on the bed later that night, he told Adachi about the incident with Mr. Nakajima. But he didn’t feel iffy about it anymore. Adachi completely brought some sense back into him. Yeah, he was just too sensitive about trivial matters. 

“Then…how about this? I’ve been thinking actually, maybe it’s high time for me to try and grow some beard and mustache…so this kinda incident will never happen again,” Adachi suggested. Kurosawa just laughed at the silly idea.

“As if you could, I never even saw you shaved before…”

“Uugh you’re right…at most I can only grow five stubbles in two weeks, and by then I’d be itchy all over my face,” he pouted cutely.

“But there’s a medicine that can help with that, right? What do you think?” Adachi inquired innocently with his big doe eyes. Kurosawa can only sigh affectionately.

“You’re perfect just the way you are, _Kiyoshi_ , do that if that’s what you want, but don’t if it’s only for my sake,” he saw Adachi blushed hearing him called by his first name.

Heh, funny, Adachi was still not used to it apparently, yet Kurosawa could throw any sort of mushy pet names at him and he wouldn’t bat an eye. Adachi hadn’t called him by his first name though, for fear of slipping out at work and implicate things. So, Kurosawa respected his decision and reserved it only for when he tried to seriously make his point across or when they were being intimate.

“Th-then why don’t _you_ try growing it? I’m sure you’ll look just as gorgeous as Ryan Gosling! If not more--”

“And then be mistaken as your father? NO THANK YOU!”

Adachi burst out laughing at that.

“Why do you think that way?? I’ll tell you, even if you’re 50 years old and go bald, you’re still the hottest person I’ve ever met in my entire life!” Adachi said while chuckling.

“You’re just saying that coz you’re stuck with me for the rest of your life…” yet deep down Kurosawa couldn’t hide his gleefulness. Adachi was never very blatant with his praises unless he really meant it, so this hit right on the spot for him.

“Humpph, suit yourself, you big sap, I mean every word I said!” he turned his back on him and Kurosawa wasted no time to spoon him and peppered Adachi’s neck with kisses. He felt the smaller man shuddered a little bit. His beloved was very sensitive on the neck after all. 

“Then…will you still continue to take care of this _ossan_ even when he’s 80, bald, has no teeth, and forget things?” he whispered into Adachi’s ears. He heard him giggled shortly after.

“I will…and I will do that with all of my frailty, wrinkles, and protruding belly…”

“HAHAHA even Rokkaku eats more than you, I’m sure you won’t have protruding belly by then.”

“Hehh, should I remind you who compared my belly to a squishy _dango_ and my cheeks to marshmallows?” Adachi cornered him.

“Oh come on! That was just one time, and it’s true anywa—ouch!” Adachi jabbed his stomach playfully.

Then they both guffawed at their silliness till they shed tears. 

“But you make a mistake though…” Adachi continued.

“Mn?”

“You won’t be an _ossan_ by then, you’d be _ojiisa—_ aackk!” he didn’t let Adachi finish and just tickle-attacked him where he was the most sensitive.

 _‘_ _My shy angel really has become too cheeky!’_ This time he wouldn’t stop until Adachi begged him to!

When they finally stopped roasting each other, Adachi gently pecked him on the lips which lead to long tender kisses they shared until he felt Adachi’s grip on him started slackening, a telltale sign that sleep would engulf him soon. He kissed his temple one last time and cuddled him again.

“Sweet dreams, Kiyoshi…”

“Sweet dreams…… _Yu_ - _Yuichi…_ …” Adachi stuttered in a small voice. Kurosawa’s heart skipped a beat. Even under the pale light of moonlight coming from the window crack, he could still see the blush adorned his beloved’s cheeks before he buried his face on Kurosawa’s chest.

Kurosawa felt very blessed for given the chance to have him in this life.

And if he shed one or two tears of joy that night, not even Adachi knew.

Kurosawa never really thought too much about his appearance before…

And with Adachi beside him always, maybe he’d never have to.

**-The End-**

~~Or is it not?~~

~~But seriously, this feels very much like a happy ever after ending, though, maybe I shud really end it here?~~ ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me gagging profusely at these pet names coz it’s awkward af and I cudn’t even be more cliché about it.  
>  _Ojiisan_ : grandfather  
> Dango, They are so round, soft, and chewy :   
> Kurosawa said this in the manga lmao.  
>  **Some trivias:**
> 
> 1\. Akaso-kun said he idolized Ryan Gosling, so I made Adachi as Gosling’s fanboii :P
> 
> 2\. Kurosawa’s preference for long sleeves is actually a reference to **a real famous Korean celebrity** who publicly said in a show that he wasn’t comfortable with the feelings of others’ touches on his skin, so he always wore long sleeves and pants to avoid that. **Can you guess who he is?**
> 
> 3\. In this AU, Adachi’s father is still around and kickin’ otherwise Kurosawa wouldn’t have joked about it. 
> 
> 4\. About the festival worker:  
> Idk if Kurosawa has better gaydar, but he did prove to be quickly receptive about Tsugemina despite never saw them before or looked into Tsuge’s mind. However, Kurosawa did look too much into things influenced by his own insecurity as the worker actually paid more attention to Adachi instead of him. It’s just that they sat next to each other. If Kurosawa’s warped assumptions about the worker’s ‘judgmental’ stares were true, then that guy wouldn’t be the only one at that lounge who looked at them weirdly. 
> 
> 5\. Hot bar or _eomukba_ is a popular Korean street food. A fish paste with fillings like sausages, cheese, prawns, seaweeds, is deep-fried and puts into sticks. Usually served plain, with ketchup, or mustard. I want Adachi to eat something meaty and saucy yet handy, that isn’t downright hotdogs, sandwiches, or _takoyaki._
> 
> 6\. Japan does have strict rules and traditions about appearances for office workers, starting from job hunting. The standards are much higher for those who work in service companies. I don’t know whether facial hair for men is included or not. Several companies where I live do restrict that, for aesthetics purposes. *sigh* 
> 
> 7\. About the film festival:  
> The whole aspect of this film festival is from my own experience attending film festivals in some cities where I live and not in Japan. My country used to not be this strict about LGBTQ depiction in public media. Even the explicit one like Brokeback Mountain made it into local cinemas (I was still a brat back then so ofc I didn’t watch it at the movies). Some local productions were also allowed. 
> 
> Ever since the last decade or so, huge changes happened. Now all kinds of LGBTQIAP implications, from local or overseas, are totally banned from public. Almost as crazy as China does, though not to the extent they banned BL actors for being in the same areas *cough*. The only way to see them on big screens nowadays, other than internet with VPNs, is thru film festivals. Nonetheless, for overseas’ film festivals to be held here, they’d still have to follow stringent regulations on what they would be showing and are only allowed for cultural objectives, which means they couldn’t be straightforward claiming as lgbtq+ film festivals or advertised as such. All screenings are usually for free but always only for adults, eventho there are kids' movies sometimes. We book the limited tickets on the spot 1 hour before screening time. We show our ID at the entrance of the venue during security checks instead of while booking the tickets. During this pandemic, one of the film festival held here every year moved to its own streaming site. Tickets were booked online so we would have to put our ID data to prove our age. I combined both scenarios for this chapter. 
> 
> Thank you for reading this word vomit and feel free to drop your guesses below ;D


	3. Discrepancy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _To make mistakes is human; to stumble is commonplace; to be able to laugh at yourself is maturity._
> 
> -William Arthur Ward-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the latest article released Feb 16th, Akaso Eiji reveals that even 'til now he is frequently asked for ID in izakayas to prove his age, which means people think he's under 20 or a minor. And that is Akaso with his cool hairstyle and outfits. He looks very different from Adachi IRL. That means Adachi would've been considered even younger with his look. We aren't too far off from reality, are we? XP
> 
> I wrote this fic with my own HC of Kurosawa’s complex rooted from something as mundane, yet immutable, as age and wanted Adachi to help him get over it. Age is also an integral part of the take-home message in Cherry Magic hence the title of this fic. My goal is for them to feel comfortable enough to come clean, joke around about their complexes and laugh at themselves as their coping mechanism (for me it works!).
> 
> I also want to depict that stage of their relationship where they have totally let their guard down with each other, where Adachi is more confident with his conduct, Kurosawa being more spontaneous, unfiltered, and doesn’t hold back or skirt around Adachi anymore. Knowing me ofc I have to make it a crack fic :D but I hope my points get across anyway. 
> 
> _“italic parts”_ are flashbacks conversations 
> 
> **P.S every chapter actually has 1 thing in common, can you guess what it is?**

Kurosawa had learned the hard way a long time ago that Adachi liked his surprise to be simple and practical. He disliked when he found out Kurosawa splurged for him. One time, he gifted Adachi a lavish set of ties, simply because he imagined they’d look good on him. Kurosawa never thought Adachi would find out how much it cost because he never saw Adachi ever got interested with fashion-related trends before. As it turned out, Adachi found out from Urabe-san at the very first day he wore one of the ties to work, that the tie was from a limited edition spring collection of this renowned imported brand which Urabe had been eyeing for a while but couldn’t afford it because it was only sold as a set, so it cost a damn fortune.

That night, Adachi had unreasonably demanded Kurosawa to return the gift back to the store because he only wore one of them and that he didn’t need to wear luxurious ties which cost almost as much as his monthly paycheck. On top of that, he also found out how much their several sets of couple’s pajamas really cost. It was their very first time having an argument and it was over something so foolish like that. He kept refusing Adachi to pay him back and his fiancé was upset because Kurosawa splurged his own hard-earned money for him. In a stalemate, they ended up going to bed in silence with Adachi’s back on him all night who shirked his attempt at spooning him and it was enough to drive him crazy, but he knew better than to coax his beloved when he needed his space, so he let him be.

The next morning, Adachi was the one who hugged him first while he was making breakfast, apologized for being ungrateful, and acted very unbecoming, yet he still didn’t let the matter drop.

_“…it’s just the two of us here, Kurosawa, we’re still young but we’ll never know what the future might bring, so we should start saving up as much money as we could.”_

_“…and I don’t need to wear something so luxurious on me, it gives me anxieties and it’s just inviting unwanted attention from others …”_

Adachi gave him three choices then: to pay back with his paycheck that month, forbade Kurosawa to buy him any more expensive gifts for the rest of the year including his birthday, or Adachi would have to stop staying over for a while to cut down on food cost, electricity, and water bills until it reached the price of the ties. Kurosawa didn’t expect that Adachi would really take it this far. He tried to flirt his way out of it but his sweet angel was very firm on it. Besides, he knew Adachi was right, he was never that mindful when it came to spending money.

In the end, he reluctantly chose the second option because he knew Adachi would never back down when he already set his mind on something. At least Kurosawa would be the one in control for the second option. 

* * *

So now, with Adachi’s 31 birthday coming, he needs to think hard on how to go around this restriction. He doesn’t want Adachi to think he’s the type to easily go back on his words and he certainly doesn’t need a repetition of that night, when the bed felt so cold even though his beloved literally sleeping beside him. Yet, he wants this to be very special as it’d be the first time they get to celebrate a birthday together since becoming a couple. To say he’s thrilled is an understatement of the century. They hadn’t been able to celebrate Kurosawa’s birthday this year because he was on a week-long business trip back then, so this time he’ll make sure to do it properly.

Having struck down many ideas for almost a month, he nervously settled on this surprise. He went on gift hunting for about two weeks, stores-hopping, and then custom-ordered it at the nth store he visited. When it was finished, he hid the gift in the deepest part of the lowest drawer to make sure Adachi wouldn’t find it by accident. In his defense, this present wasn’t technically exclusive for Adachi and it was normal for custom-made jewelry to be expensive so he was sure Adachi wouldn’t mind it this time.

On that day, he decided on a warm quality time at home just the two of them, with a hearty meal, a scrumptious birthday cake made just the way Adachi liked it. A chocolate _gateau_ with layers and layers of chocolate _ganache_ , decorated with chocolate truffles and berries on top, and some sprinkle of cherry sauce. When they have finished the birthday wishes and feed each other desserts, maybe after one or two glasses of champagne, Kurosawa would give him the ring and propose to Adachi to move in with him, permanently this time.

It was just that, the sooner the birthday coming, the more Kurosawa thought deeply about it. Not because he had a change of heart, never, but more to the realization that it’d seem a bit pushing to do it on Adachi’s birthday. It would be more suitable to do this for their first Anniversary instead. Yes, that’s right, for his birthday, Adachi should just enjoy the day fully for himself, instead of having to make decisions regarding their future. 

* * *

It was two days away from the D-day and Kurosawa hadn’t come up with anything special enough for Adachi’s birthday present. He had no choice but to ask Fujisaki-san again for some advice.

“Hmm…let me see, wouldn’t it be better to take him somewhere for the day and then just have the cake at dinner?” she wondered.

“Ah yeah, I’ve been thinking about this one place actually, but still not sure…you know that newly opened dessert café which was advertised as a manga café a while ago? Apparently, customers can pre-order birthday cakes there and have it served whenever they want...”

“Oh! I’ve been there 2 weeks ago, on Sunday,” she exclaimed.

“Really? How was the atmosphere? Crowded?”

“It wasn’t though, maybe because they’re new? But the food was good and it was pretty cozy. Adachi-kun loves manga, doesn’t he? The shelves there were floor-to-ceilings high and full of mangas! I’m sure you guys can relax there, it felt pretty private too.”

“Thank you, Fujisaki-san! That settles it then, now it leaves me with the day…” he trailed.

“Well, the dinner venue seemed very Adachi-kun’s style, so why not find someplace where you both love during the day?” she suggested.

He mulled over it all afternoon, places where they both like? Adachi didn’t really go out unless Kurosawa asked him to, and he himself would love to go everywhere as long as his beloved was with him. Just when he was about to chat Adachi, he saw a message from Mr. Nakajima. The older man sent him a hyperlink and a photo of himself and his 10 year-old-son in front of what looked like a giant gate decorated with…wait…Kurosawa gasped, he read the caption of the photo:

**Manager Nakajima**

_Have Kurosawa-kun and his brother gone here already?_

_My son just found out about it this week,_

_They said it’d only be open till New Year._

The link brought him to a website of an amusement park two towns from here which just added a whole new section for Ragna Crimson-themed rides and merch stores! He couldn’t believe his luck. This would be the perfect gift for Adachi’s birthday and they could go on a full-day date too. He promptly thanked Mr. Nakajima for the info and booked the tickets that second. He just realized that he hadn’t clarified to the older man about Adachi’s age until now. Not that he thought it was necessary.

* * *

It’s finally the day. His beloved went back home the last three days because his mother was staying over, so now he’s waiting for Adachi to come to his place. The temperature took a steep drop that morning so he reminded Adachi to dress warmly. He himself is clad in a thick black shirt, retro pile fleece jacket, cargo denim pants, and white leather sneakers. Fifteen minutes later, Adachi shows up on his door bundled up in plaid shirt covered with mid-thigh puffer jacket (which makes him look so round but Kurosawa is careful not to slip that out loud), dark jogger pants, and comfy canvas shoes. 

They arrive at the amusement park right at the opening time and it’s already very crowded, mostly with groups of teenagers and families. They go straight to the Ragna Crimson’s area and proceed to try all the rides (this time Adachi has taken a nausea pill as prophylaxis prior to getting in line to the more daunting ones) and visit all the merch stores.

They are on their way to have lunch when they see a little kid crouching alone at the corner of the street, almost hidden by a tree and a trash can. They approach the kid and hear he’s actually sobbing while clutching a small backpack to his front like his life depends on it. After much coaxing and wailing, the little boy who looks like he’s barely four years old, finally tells them he lost his mother and his friends. They decide to bring the kid to the security office. While the officers there are quick to help and announce the missing child, the amusement park is quite big and packed that day which means finding the mother will take some time. They are also a bit shorthanded as some of the officers have to be deployed to guard a parade that’s ongoing right now. Thus, Kurosawa and Adachi volunteer to wait with the kid until the mother comes while one officer stands by in case they receive reports.

The cute little boy, named Naoki, is quick to warm up to Adachi and both of them play with the figurines Adachi bought earlier. Kurosawa stares at them both affectionately and tamps down his urge to take a video. Adachi did say he has several nephews and nieces from his cousins and would always play with them whenever they have family gatherings. The same can’t be said for him, though. His Aneki doesn’t have kids yet and his relatives are all distant and busy with their own lives.

The clock ticks by and after a full hour, there’s still no sign of the mother. Naoki looks very agitated now, keeps looking outside, and his stomach growls, so the both of them ask for permission from the officer to find some food for him. Kurosawa buys Adachi and Naoki sweet crepes and not long after the last bite, a distressed woman runs to their direction with an officer in tow. She picks Naoki and profusely thanks both of them for taking care of her kid. They are just about to say goodbye to each other when the mother addresses his baby.

“Naoki, don’t forget to say thank you to these gentlemen, you know what to do, right?” Naoki nods and promptly walks to Adachi.

“Thank you for playing with and taking care of me, _Oniichan!_ (re: big brother)” he bows perfectly towards Adachi.

“You’re welcome, Naoki!” Adachi coos happily and pats his head. He then proceeds to Kurosawa.

“Thank you for buying me food and taking care of me, _Ojichan!_ (re: Uncle)” he bows perfectly towards him.

“…………”

“…………”

“…………”

Kurosawa’s smile freezes on his face. The air around them suddenly stands still.

“Ah! _Sumimasen_!” the mother looks panic, drags Naoki towards her, and bows hastily.

“Naoki! That one is also _oniichan_!” They can hear the mother chides Naoki in small voices as clear as day, which is only answered by Naoki with “Really??” in a look of total confusion.

“…………”

“…………”

“………………………”

“A-ah, it-it’s fine…” Kurosawa painstakingly forces his smile. 

When the pair of mother and son finally leaves and he regains some senses back, he realizes that Adachi’s breathing sound is weird beside him. He turns to him and when their eyes meet, suddenly the shorter man goes into unnatural coughing fits while covering his mouth, whole body shaking. He then realizes that Adachi is actually repressing his cackle the whole time! 

“Aaah, honey, you’re so meeeaan!” he laments.

“I’m sorry, Yuichi!” he squeezes his hand. “Don’t take it to heart, you know how little kids are…they can be very…..............honest sometimes.” Adachi gives him a sympathetic look, and the next second he snickers.

Kurosawa couldn’t believe his ears! Just who the hell taught his shy angel to be a little gremlin like this??

“You--!! Uugh, just you wait! When we go back home I’ll tickle you ‘til you slobber all over your face like a baby!” he pinched Adachi’s cheek but at the same time can’t hide his amusement at seeing Adachi becomes this playful with him. 

“Oh nooo….please have mercy on me, _Ojichan_!” Adachi fakes a horror face and the next second, grins smugly...

Kurosawa blushes so hard hearing that and Adachi uses that moment of him being totally distracted to dislodge himself from his grip and run away from him, giggling all the way. Thankfully, nobody is around them at the time to witness him being totally flustered.

And it’s the first time he feels so relieved that Adachi can’t read his mind anymore…

Suddenly, he can’t wait till they get home....

* * *

Kurosawa never really thought too much about his appearance before….

Scratch that!! 

It’s time to ask _Aneki_ for some advice, maybe a new hairstyle is long overdue….

And maybe the next time he goes shopping, he’ll just go to Adachi’s clothing stores instead of his usual branded boutiques.

**-The End for Real-**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trivia: 
> 
> If u live where the culture is to address strangers who are much older than you as Aunty/Uncle you’ll understand how Kurosawa feels. I can only say for Eastern and SE parts of Asia coz that’s where I’m most familiar with the culture. It’s to show our respect but in informal setting, also to convey a degree of friendliness/familiarity. Kids are taught to do it that way ofc, so again, the problem isn’t with Kurosawa but with how young Adachi gives himself off (looks, manners, etc). And maybe because Naoki saw Kurosawa was the one buying him and Adachi food? Idk lol!
> 
> But still, if you’re 20-30+, no kids of your own, being addressed as aunty/uncle by strangers (kids or teens, or just any salesmen on the street trying to sell their goods to you) are sometimes unpleasant LMAO. I even once came across a Singaporean’s life insurance ad totally depicting this scenario and it was hilarious! It’s something sensitive but also a topic to joke about between your friends and families. 
> 
> This chapter is technically where I threw a bunch of my HCs in one go. We’ve seen Kurosawa and Rokkaku be gremlins in canon so I want our **cherry babie** to be one too. I also wanted to give them their 1st argument ever coz that’s inevitable in a relationship, but it’s real hard given their dynamic so I settled on one jarring habit between these two, that Kurosawa splurges. The guy rented a fucken **chopper** for his 1st date with Adachi (in manga)! Also bought 35K+ Yen for pajamas that might never be worn. Now compare that with Adachi who spent years having onigiri for lunch and dress shoes so dull and soles so worn with time, so yeah…if I were Adachi, I’d be concern for Kurosawa too… 
> 
> I still have a few ideas for these two that I'd like to see in a fic, tho most likely I won't be able to tackle any of them until I pass all my major exams till the end of March -_-"
> 
> TYSM to everyone who subscribed, left kudos, comments, and bookmarked my fics <3 I’m very happy to read comments that these silly ideas of mine actually bring laughter to some of you ^^  
>  **Sorry to those commenting on Ch 1 coz I accidentally deleted em all. Pls know that I really appreciate 'em.**  
>  Let’s all hope for CM sequel with the same actors coz we need it to stay sane during this difficult time. Keep warm, stay healthy, and fabulous! Ja Ne~

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my #cherry magic tag on [ tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/amethysthunder) where I made and reblogged CM contents.


End file.
